A key Jeremy Corbyn ally has been accused of acting like a “pound-shop Donald Trump” after he said he was considering taking action over his failure to be reselected as a Labour candidate.
Sam Tarry MP, who was Corbyn’s campaign director for his second leadership race in 2016, lost his constituency battle on Monday night.
Ilford South Labour members voted to support local council leader Jas Athwal by a margin of 499 votes to 361.
In a statement issued this morning, Mr Tarry said he was “utterly crestfallen” by the result, which makes him the first MP to be deselected since 2010.
He said: "I am extremely concerned about the result, which does not reflect the feeling my campaigners met on the ground talking day in day ouy to members, or the extensive, meticulous data we gathered on the campaign [sic].
"I am taking some time to consider what's next, but in order to be assured of the integrity of the result I am asking the party to share with me the full information of who cast electronic votes, by what method, and when they were cast, which I understand is available in the 'anonyvoter' system.”
Supporters of Mr Athwal immediately accused Mr Tarry, who is widely reported to be in a relationship with Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner, of resembling "a pound-shop Donald Trump”, the Guardian reported.
The vote marks the culmination of a divisive selection battle. In 2019, Redbridge Council leader Mr Athwal was seen as the favourite to be chosen to stand.
On the eve of the vote, however, he was suspended from the party over unspecified allegations, which prevented him from running. Mr Athwal later condemned the move as “politically motivated”.
While campaigning in 2019, Mr Tarry claimed antisemitism was being exploited to hurt Mr Corbyn’s leadership.
“There are people associated with the Labour Party who have sought to exploit the issue [of antisemitism] just because they don’t agree with Jeremy Corbyn over an issue of foreign policy,” he told a hustings.
At the time, a Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) spokesperson said: "It's beyond disappointing that… he plays to the gallery and produces a tired old trope that the EHRC inquiry - instigated by JLM's referral - is motivated by a desire to smear Corbyn, rather than confront racism.”
Mr Tarry insisted he was only discussing former Ilford South MP Mike Gapes.
Following his victory, Mr Athwal said: “Ilford is my home, it is where I live, went to school and where my children all went to school. It is the only place I would ever want to represent.
“Today means Ilford can focus on the future and ensure that Westminster delivers for Ilford, that Ilford gets the investment it needs and deserves."
Ilford North MP Wes Streeting said: “Jas will be a superb representative for Ilford South. His is an Ilford story – the boy who came from the Punjab and built an education, successful businesses, and a wonderful family here.
“He’s led Redbridge Labour to three unprecedented victories because he’s a local resident who fights as hard for our community as he would for his own family.”
